73 Sects of Islam

The famous hadeeth of the 73 sects is heard from both Shee`ahs and Sunnees in speeches all over the world. Well, here is a Hasan (Good) Hadeeth from Shee`ah books talking about the 73 sects, and about which one is going to the Heaven and which one is going to the Fire (i.e. Hell).

(Taken from my personal copy of Al-Kulayni's RawDah Al-Kaafi, pg. 182)

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ جَمِيلِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ عَنْ أَبِي خَالِدٍ الْكَابُلِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع قَالَ «ضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلًا رَجُلًا فِيهِ شُرَكاءُ مُتَشاكِسُونَ وَ رَجُلًا سَلَماً لِرَجُلٍ هَلْ يَسْتَوِيانِ مَثَلًا» (الزمر -: 29 -)

قَالَ أَمَّا الَّذِي فِيهِ شُرَكَاءُ مُتَشَاكِسُونَ فَلِأَنَّ الْأَوَّلَ يَجْمَعُ الْمُتَفَرِّقُونَ وَلَايَتَهُ وَ هُمْ فِي ذَلِكَ يَلْعَنُ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضاً وَ يَبْرَأُ بَعْضُهُمْ مِنْ بَعْضٍ فَأَمَّا رَجُلٌ سَلَمُ رَجُلٍ فَإِنَّهُ الْأَوَّلُ حَقّاً وَ شِيعَتُهُ

ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ الْيَهُودَ تَفَرَّقُوا مِنْ بَعْدِ مُوسَى ع عَلَى إِحْدَى وَ سَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً مِنْهَا فِرْقَةٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَ سَبْعُونَ فِرْقَةً فِي النَّارِ

وَ تَفَرَّقَتِ النَّصَارَى بَعْدَ عِيسَى ع عَلَى اثْنَتَيْنِ وَ سَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً فِرْقَةٌ مِنْهَا فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَ إِحْدَى وَ سَبْعُونَ فِي النَّارِ

وَ تَفَرَّقَتْ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةُ بَعْدَ نَبِيِّهَا ص عَلَى ثَلَاثٍ وَ سَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً اثْنَتَانِ وَ سَبْعُونَ فِرْقَةً فِي النَّارِ وَ فِرْقَةٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَ مِنَ الثَّلَاثِ وَ سَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً ثَلَاثَ عَشْرَةَ فِرْقَةً تَنْتَحِلُ وَلَايَتَنَا وَ مَوَدَّتَنَا اثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ فِرْقَةً مِنْهَا فِي النَّارِ وَ فِرْقَةٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَ سِتُّونَ فِرْقَةً مِنْ سَائِرِ النَّاسِ فِي النَّارِ

From Aboo Khaalid Al-Kaabulee (Kankar) from Abee Ja`far (عليه السلام): He said: (asked about the words) «God tells a parable in which there is a company of quarrelsome people and only one of them is well disciplined. Can they be considered as equal? » (39:39).

He (عليه السلام) said: «The quarrelsome ones» are because the first ones gather the different ones in his leadership and they did la`nah (curse) and did bara’a (disassociate) from each other. «The well disciplined man» is the first in the matters of his right as well as his Shee`ahs (followers).

Then He (عليه السلام) said: “The Jews after Moosa (عليه السلام) separated into 71 sects of which one is in Jannah (i.e. Heaven) and the (remaining) 70 sects are in the fire (i.e. Hell).

And the Christians after `Eesa (عليه السلام) separated into 72 sects of which one sect is in Jannah and the (remaining) 71 (sects) are in the fire.

And this Ummah after the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) separated into 73 sects and 72 sects are in the fire and one sect is in Jannah and from the 73 sects, 13 of the sects plagiarize/impersonate friendship and wilayah of us (the Imaams), and 12 sects from it are in the fire, and one sect is in Jannah, and the (remaining) 60 sects from the rest of the people are in the fire”

Source:

1.     Al-Kulayni, Al-Kaafi, vol. 8, pg. 224, hadeeth # 283

Grading:

1.     Al-Majlisi said this hadeeth is Hasan (Good) à Mir’aat Al-`Uqool, vol. 26, pg. 153

2.     Al-Haadee Al-Najafee said this hadeeth has a Mu`tabar (Valid/Esteemed) Isnaad

à Mawsoo`ah aHaadeeth, vol. 8, pg. 399

Here is what Hoor Al-`Aamilee has said about this hadeeth in his Al-FaSool Al-Muhimmah:

أقول : والأحاديث في ذلك كثيرة متواترة من طرق العامة والخاصة وتقدم ما يدل على ذلك

“I say: And these aHaadeeth are mutawaatir through many paths in (both) the `Aaamah (Sunnee) and KhaaSah (Shee`ah), and what has come before shows that”

Source:

1.     Al-`Aamilee, Al-FaSool Al-Muhimmah, vol. 1, pg. 448

One of the narrators  in the sanad is a guy who isn’t commonly found in other isnaads, his name is Aboo Khaalid Al-Kubaalee, it is said in Rijaal Al-Kashee from Al-FaDl bin Shaadhaan that he was one of the five people who were with `Alee bin Al-Hussayn (عليه السلام) since the beginning. (see: Rijaal Al-Kashee, pg. 115, hadeeth # 184). There are other aHaadeeth that praise him very much as well.

Here is what Al-Majlisi says in his commentary of Al-Kaafee called Mir’aat Al-`Uqool:

أبو خالد

اسمه وردان و لقبه كنكر، و قد ورد فيه مدح و أنه من حواري علي بن الحسين عليه السلام و أنه كان يقول بإمامة محمد بن الحنفية دهرا ثم رجع، و قال بإمامة علي بن الحسين

“His name is Wardaan, and his nickname/title is Kankar, and in him is Praise, and that he is from the disciples of `Alee bin Al-Hussayn (عليه السلام) and that it is said that he believed in the Imaamah of Muhammad bin Al-Hanafiyyah for a while, then returned (back to Imaamiyyah), and he believed in the Imaamah of `Alee bin Al-Hussayn (عليه السلام)”

Source:

1.       Al-Majlisi, Mir’aat Al-`Uqool, vol. 26, pg. 27